Homemade Mustard

I wish I had a dollar for every conversation that went something like this

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“What are you bringing to the Chicago Food Swap?”

“Mustard.  We're making mustard.  In fact, two different kinds.  one with horseradish and the other with honey with herbs.”

“You're kidding.  I had no idea someone could do this at home.”

Yep, you definitely can

And you know what else?  There's nothing that quite compares.  It's so delicious that I can't see either one of us buying it at the grocery again.

Inexpensive, straight forward, no searching specialty stores to track down ingredients, and lends itself to any flavor combination one sets their heart on

I first learned of homemade mustard through Kate, who brought a few jars to April's swap.  We've been hooked ever since.

The need to create my own spin drove me to the web.  I found all sorts of combinations, ideas, potions.  There were also philosophies for the perfect soaking agents, fermentation times, and uses for such creations after they had been made

Ack!

Mustard overload.  Step away from the google search

In the end, two flavors captured my attention

The first by David Lebovitz, the man who has yet to steer me wrong on all things ice cream.  I had a good feeling he could be trusted with mustard

I loved that he used wine, and the men in my life would give the nod if horseradish were involved

The second came from a combination of sources.  I couldn't resist the sweet from the honey combined with fresh herbs from gardens of friends and family.

Both processes were essentially the same

Combine the mustard seeds with a liquid.  In our case, white wine and vinegar.  Kate's mentioned she often uses dark beer and vinegar, in equal parts to the number of seeds being used  (1 part seeds, 1 part vinegar, 1 part beer)

The mustard-seed-liquid-potion sits for a few days, and at that point, you've got basic mustard.  Add in your favorite flavor combinations, let it sit a few days more, and voila, your very own mustard blend!

(Don't forget to taste and adjust your seasonings as the mustard ages.  We were really surprised by how much the flavor changed as it aged)

Throughout the process, I quickly got smarter about seeds and powder, with a range anywhere from black (strongest with the most heat and pungency) to white (mildest).  Because it was fun to experiment, for the horseradish mustard we used half black and half brown. The herbed honey was a combination of brown seeds and brown powder.

We filled our mason jars and headed to Chicago.  Many other combinations have been bookmarked to try another day.

At the swap, it was a hit.  The horseradish went first; honey herb a close second.

We've read of its uses.  Of course, as a spread on sandwiches, a dip for pretzels as a snack, as a rub or marinade for meat, an unexpected zip in potato or egg salad, tossed on roasted veggies, as a glue to hold turkey burgers together, in vinaigrette's or dressings, in stews, and casseroles.  The list goes on

Seriously fun stuff

Enjoy!

xoxo

~ Adapted from David Lebovitz